Uber Noobr, and here’s a code for a free Uber trip!

This week I’m in Boston for a workshop on Tuesday and Wednesday, but I flew in a day early to site see and take pics (photos to come later). The only problem is that I don’t trust cabbies and how they charge, don’t know where or how to pick up a cab, and it can be daunting to explore a new town all by yourself.

Where to go, how to get there, where to eat, and not be disconnected from home are things that I wouldn’t be able to do without my iPhone. Previously, I’ve use Yelp and Trip Advisor to find the best locations to visit and the best places to eat — they’re indispensable traveling companions. Today, I added a new one to the mix — Uber.

Upon firing up the app, it makes you open an account, and enter in your credit card information. This makes me uncomfortable, because I don’t like my credit card being on file with ANY company, but it sure does make things convenient as you’ll see next.

It lets you get an estimate before you schedule a ride, but the prices can go up depending on the time of day. At least, you’re warned in advance.

My first real usage was this morning. I wanted to go from the hotel to Copley Square. I entered this into Uber’s app while I was in the lobby, walked outside, and within 2 minutes or less, the car pulled up! He already knew my name and where we needed to go. The driver was nice, the car was clean, and I didn’t have to pay him directly, because the app already took care of it. It couldn’t be easier! I was even able to leave feedback on the driver for other Uber users.

My second Uber was this afternoon. I was at some intersection by a Starbucks. My next stop was going to be Harvard since I had always wanted to see the campus. I brought up the Uber app, tapped where I wanted to go, and again within two minutes or less, another vehicle pulled up, and shortly we were on our way. The driver told me his life story, but was pleasant. As far as the ride and car — nice and no complaints.

My third Uber of the day was coming back from Harvard down to the Boston waterfront and the hotel. The driver picked me up in less than two minutes and brought me right to the hotel. The car wasn’t as clean, but not filthy — just not immaculate. We even took a toll road on the way back, and the driver informed me that Uber already factored that in.

These three trips cost me a total of about $55. For the ease of use, fast service, and zero problems, it made today very enjoyable. It was cheaper and easier than a rental car, it gave me the freedom to go where I wanted to go, and was a pleasant experience. I’ll definitely use Uber again in the future.

One cool thing is that after my first Uber trip, they emailed me an offer. If I get someone to use Uber with my referral code, they get a free trip, but so do I! Use my referral code noahb326 for a free trip!